The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), based in Rockdale, Maryland, has released a draft of new guidelines for breast cancer screenings, recommending that women begin getting mammograms every other year starting at the age of 40.
The new guidelines apply to women who are deemed at “average risk,” which includes those who have a family history of the disease and who have dense breast tissue or other risk factors.
The previous recommendation, which was released in 2016, called for women to start screenings at age 50 — stating that women younger than 50 could choose to screen earlier based on their medical history and personal preferences.